An elderly California couple was killed in a fall from a moving Amtrak train Saturday, authorities said.
Investigators were trying to determine the events that led to the deaths of Arthur Kohfeld, 87, and his wife, Dorthea, 76, of Reedley, Calif., near Middle Point in northwest Ohio, the Van Wert County Sheriff's Department said.The Kohfelds had boarded the daily, overnight long-distance train in Chicago, said Pat Duricka of Amtrak's public affairs office in Washington, D.C.
There were 157 passengers on board The Broadway Limited, which was eastbound for New York via Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The train was traveling at 70 mph when the incident occurred about 1:30 a.m.
Dorthea Kohfeld was dead at the scene. Arthur Kohfeld survived the fall but was pronounced dead upon arrival at Van Wert County hospital, authorities said.
"There was . . . a witness to the incident who will be interviewed by the Amtrak police," said Duricka. She said the witness had tried unsuccessfully to restrain Kohfeld.
"We really have no idea at this point what happened. Once the witness is interviewed we may have a little better idea," Duricka said.